Thursday, March 23, 2023
Are the Metropolitan Police in denial?
The Guardian reports that the author of the devastating report on the Metropolitan police has criticised the force’s commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, for refusing to accept her description of the force as institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic, describing his reasoning as “hollow”.
As the paper says, Louise Casey’s report on Tuesday excoriated the Met and found widespread bias against its own staff and the public, with officers found to have got away with acts so serious they amount to crimes.
As the paper says, Louise Casey’s report on Tuesday excoriated the Met and found widespread bias against its own staff and the public, with officers found to have got away with acts so serious they amount to crimes.
They add that the report also said stop and search was biased, the force had made choices to degrade its service to women and rarely caught the men who attack them, and was suffering from broken trust with the public it serves.
However, Met Chief, Sir Mark Rowley’s refused to admit the Met police is ‘institutionally’ racist, misogynistic and homophobic:
Casey hit back on Wednesday and told the police and crime committee of the London assembly that Rowley was wrong, but stressed he was the right choice to reform the Met.
Casey said: “When people say something’s become politicised, it’s often a get out of jail card for the word difficult. I’ve heard it so many times, I’m sorry, you’re dealing with a dinosaur, I’ve been around a long time. And sometimes it is right that we step into what is difficult.”
Casey said of black Londoners’ experience of the Met: “They are over-policed and under-protected. If a woman is black she is 65% more likely to be on the receiving end of domestic violence.”
The Met was first found to be institutionally racist in 1999 by the official inquiry into why the racist killers of Stephen Lawrence had escaped justice. That inquiry followed a campaign led by his, mother Doreen Lawrence.
Casey said: “This was the moment to say to Doreen Lawrence, the countless people out there: ’Yeah, this is institutional.’ And then you can move on and have a straightforward and direct discussion with the people of London.
“Because it just rings hollow to say: ‘I don’t like the word and it is not a word I would use.’ And I know Mark Rowley, he is a man of utter decency and integrity.”
Whether the hierarchy are in denial or not will depend on what measures they put in place to tackle the institutional problems the Met suffers. Not accepting the intital judgement is not a good start.
However, Met Chief, Sir Mark Rowley’s refused to admit the Met police is ‘institutionally’ racist, misogynistic and homophobic:
Casey hit back on Wednesday and told the police and crime committee of the London assembly that Rowley was wrong, but stressed he was the right choice to reform the Met.
Casey said: “When people say something’s become politicised, it’s often a get out of jail card for the word difficult. I’ve heard it so many times, I’m sorry, you’re dealing with a dinosaur, I’ve been around a long time. And sometimes it is right that we step into what is difficult.”
Casey said of black Londoners’ experience of the Met: “They are over-policed and under-protected. If a woman is black she is 65% more likely to be on the receiving end of domestic violence.”
The Met was first found to be institutionally racist in 1999 by the official inquiry into why the racist killers of Stephen Lawrence had escaped justice. That inquiry followed a campaign led by his, mother Doreen Lawrence.
Casey said: “This was the moment to say to Doreen Lawrence, the countless people out there: ’Yeah, this is institutional.’ And then you can move on and have a straightforward and direct discussion with the people of London.
“Because it just rings hollow to say: ‘I don’t like the word and it is not a word I would use.’ And I know Mark Rowley, he is a man of utter decency and integrity.”
Whether the hierarchy are in denial or not will depend on what measures they put in place to tackle the institutional problems the Met suffers. Not accepting the intital judgement is not a good start.
